• Making time to write is hard enough, add in the holidays and that's a recipe for a writing disaster. Make time to write this holiday season with these tips!

    Making Time to Write During the Holidays

    - By 

    The days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day are quite possibly the busiest of the entire year. That means it may be even more difficult to find time to write. Don’t let the holidays throw off your writing routine though. Here are seven ways to continue making time to write during the holiday season. Make room. While your calendar may be jam-packed with holiday parties, shopping for gifts, special holiday events, and family time, it’s important to make room in your schedule for your writing. Identify the best time of day to write. If you’re an early riser, set your…

  • Why Your Writing Project Needs a Deadline

    - By 

    The likelihood of achieving a goal without a deadline is pretty slim. We can continuously punt tasks lacking a due date down the field, and before we know it we’ll have pushed certain goals into the next year. To ensure you reach your writing goals, it’s important to set both small and large deadlines for yourself. Small goal achievements help you feel like you’re making progress, and that deadline to have your book completely written will give you a date on the calendar to work toward. We all work at our own pace. This month, thousands of people will participate…

  • Creating a cast of characters for your novel? Free tips on characterization from our staff in honor of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)!

    Novel Writing: Creating a Cast of Characters

    - By 

    Hello writers! Hopefully, you’re each waist-deep in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). If you haven’t started yet, or have fallen off the wagon just a bit, just jump right back on! The only thing standing between you and a finished novel is your hesitation. And you, sweet writer, have nothing to lose! As you pound away at your 1,667 words per day, start thinking about characterization. That may sound like a complicated term to some, but it’s simply the process of creating characters in your story. Give them depth, quirks, and their own unique imprint in the storyline. There are…

  • Happy NaNoWriMo!

    Happy NaNoWriMo!

    - By 

    November is a busy month for writers: it’s National Novel Writing Month, also known as NaNoWriMo. What happens during NaNoWriMo? It’s simple really. To celebrate the only official book-writing month of the year, writers are encouraged to spend 30 days putting their fingers to the keyboard, completing a 50,000-word book by November 30th. One month. Boom. Done. You’re one step (a first draft) closer to becoming a published author. If you have struggled with finding the time and discipline to finish your book, this is one of the easiest ways to jump those hurdles. Your word count can vary from day-to-day,…